1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to a compact case having a body and a lid for covering the body, and more particularly, to a compact case in which engagement of a lid with a body can be released by squeezing respective side walls of the body.
2. Related Art
As a compact case in which engagement of a lid with a body can be released by squeezing respective side walls of the body, for example, one disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-open Publication No. 2007-289290 has been known.
The compact case disclosed therein has a body with a pair of slits at a bottom plate part of the body extending in a longitudinal direction of side wall parts of the body, the side wall parts allowed to elastically deform inwardly in a body width direction, which enables inward pressing operation by the side wall parts. In the body is installed an inner dish that covers the bottom plate part. A channel part is formed in the bottom plate part covered with the inner dish, in which a thin plate-shaped sliding piece is provided. The sliding piece is caused to slide along the channel part as the elastically deformable side wall parts are squeezed. An engaging part that is provided at a front end of the sliding piece moves back and forth in accordance with sliding movement of the sliding piece and engages a projection provided to the lid to implement engageable and disengageable coupling between the body and the lid.
In the art disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-open Publication No. 2007-289290, the sliding piece with the engaging part provided at the front end thereof is installed under the cosmetic dish as the inner dish in the body as a separate component so as to implement engageable and disengageable coupling between the body and the lid. Consequently, the number of components of the compact case increases, stability in operation of pressing the side walls is lacking, and manufacturing process is rendered more complicated.